Humidifying system



March 9 1926.

T. H. IRELAND HUMIDIFYING SYSTEM Filed April 26 l 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 9 ,1926. 1,575,839

l T. IRELAND HUMIDIFYING SYSTEM Filed April 26, 1924 s sheets-sheet Pa'tented Mar. 9, 1926.

THOMAS E. IRELAND, F ROCKVILLE CENTER, YORK.

lnuttinminne SYSTEM.

Application led A'pril 26, 1924. Serial No. 709,818.

To all whom t maywoncern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. IRELAND,

a citizen of the United States, residing at RockvilleCenter, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented cer- )tain new' and useful Improvements in a Humidifying System, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains generally to hul0 midifying systems and while the principles thereof may be employed for various purposes, the invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a system suitable for household use.

One of the primary purposes of this invention is to provide an apparatus which can be readily installed and used in connection with the ordinary house heating system. Furthermore, my inventionI is designed so that it may be sold as a unit and supplied to heating systems already installed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a system which will be entirely automatic in its operation both -as to its water supply and also as to its operation, my invention being designed to operate when the heating system is in operation and to remain idle when the heating systemv is not in operation. This feature is obviously desirable since a humidifying system is necessary only at such times as the ,heating system is being used. Another purpose of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will be simple in construction, economical to manufacture, one which can be readily installed by unskilled labor and whichwill .be eflicient and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of1my invent-ion should be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood, by reference to the following description when contsidered lin connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,+

45 Fig. 1 is aplanvview of the water tank and apparatus connected therewith embodied in my invention.

Fig. 2 's a side elevation thereof'.

Fig. 3 `is an end elevation looking at the left hand end of Fig.' 2. Fig.' 4 is an elevation ofthe opposite end o'f the tank.

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View showing the relation of the moist air delivery pipe to a radiator.

with the opposite end of the tank 8 extends tank is heated by the steam pipe 9 and the heat.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of-my improved apparatus installed in connection with a steam heating system, and

Fig. 7 illustrates the application of my' invcntiOn to a hot air heating system.

Referring to the drawings more in detail and particularly at first to Figs. 5 and 6, reference character 8 indicates generally a water tank to which water is automatically supplied to maintain a predetermined water level therein as will be later described, the tank Vbeing shaped to seat-upon and be carried by a steam heating pipe 9 extending from the boiler (not shown) to a radiator 11 Iresting upon the floor 12 of the room to be humiditied. An -air intake pipe 13 extending through the floor 12 communicates with the interior of the room at or near the floor and the moist air delivery pipe 14 connected upwardly through the floor a considerable distance in close proximity to the radiator 11 so as to be heated thereby. The water-in the from the radiator causes an upflovov of air in the pipe 14 while at the same time "the colder air along the floor flows through the pipe l 13 to the tank in which it evaporates some of the water from the tank and then passes through the pipe 14 into the room to be humidied. A. continuous circulation of air through the humidifying'tank is, therefore, maintained whenever the radiator 11 is in operation; Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be observed that the tank' 8 is elongated in shape and formed to provide a downwardly opening U-shaped channel or recess 15 adapted to ity over the steam pipe 9. The tank when set upon this 95 pipe straddles the same and it is secured in lposition thereon by a slide 16 which is removed during the positioning of the tank and is th'en slid into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 beneath the guide flanges 17 100 and 18, thereby fastening the tank to the pipe, and forms a heat retaining chamber.

A water supply pipe 19v communicates with one side of the tank and is provided at a desired level with an over-flow pipe 21 105 -which prevents the water in the tank from rising above a predetermined maximum` level.. The top of the, pipe 19 is preferablyl equipped with a funne 22 and water is automatically delivered to the funnel` from a Y valve 23 located in the water supply pipe 24 preferably connected with a water service pipe. This valve 23 is automatically opened and closed by a pair of floats 25 located in the tank and connected with a rock shaft 26 mounted in suitable bearings 27 at the sides of the tank, the rock shaft being connected through a lever 30 and arm 28 with the valve 23. Through the instrumentality of this float controlled valve the water level in the tank is automatically maintained at a ,predetermined height.

The air supply pipe 13' to t-he tank is connected with a nipple 29 at one end of the tank and the entering air is deflected downwardly against the surface of the water in the tank by a hood or deector 31. An outlet nipple 32 at the opposite end of the tank, preferably larger in diameter than the inlet nipple, is connected with the moist air delivery pipe 14.

Since the circulation of air through the humidifying tank iscaused by the heating of the moist air delivery pipe 14 from the radiator, it will be manifest that this circulation will be mainly maintained when the radiator is in operation and but slight, if any, circulation at other times. The evaporation of the water in the tank is facilitated by the heating of the water from the steam pipe 9 and if the heat be sufficient the water may be heated so as to deliver an appreci- .able volume of moist air through the pipe 14. The water level in the tank is automatically maintained by the floatcontrolled valve so that the apparatus requires no attention over prolonged periods of use.

A modification of the'invention is shown in Fig. 7 wherein reference character 33 indicates a hot air furnace from which a hot air pipe 34 leads to the register 35 opening into the room. The water tank 36 in this instance is Aclamped or otherwise secured in intimate contact with the pipe 34 so as to be heated. thereby and it maybe substantially of inverted U or other adaptable shape so as to ht over the pipe similarly to the tank previously described. Water is supplied to the tank in the manner previously explained and air is delivered to the tank through a pipe 37 connected with the lower portion of the room as previously described. The moist air delivery pipe 38, however, is preferably connected with the pipe 34 so that air will be forced through the pipe 38 by the lower temperature of the entering air and cause an action which will cause the discharge of the moist air into the pipe 34 from scope, for any heat distributing system may be utilized. In some of the claims, therefore, I have generically referred to all such devices and arrangements as heat distributors.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention. obviously the structural details may be varied within considerable limits without departing from the essence of my invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim: v

1. In a heating system, in combination with a rooln having a pipe for supplying,

heated medium thereto, a water tank constructed and arrangedto be heated by said pipe, means for delivering air from the lower part of said room to said tank, and a moist air delivery pipe leading from said tank so that circulation of air through said tank from said means to said pipe will be positively initiated upon rise in temperature of the water in said. tank, and auxiliary means for increasing the rate of circulation of air through said tank.

l 2. In a huniidifying system, in combination with a heat distributor in a room to be heated thereby and a heating medium supply pipe thereto, a water tank connected with said pipe whereby the water in the tank may be heated out of contact with said heating medium, an air inlet pipe leading into said tank, and an air outlet pipe leadingl from said tank terminating adjacent said heat distributor within said room.

3. In a humidifying system, a heating systeln including a heat distributor in the room to be humiditied. a pipe for supplying a heated medium thereto, a water tank connected to said pipe whereby water in the tank will be heated by the heated medium in said pipe and means for establishing air circulation to and from the water tank from and to the room to be humiditied including means disposed in close relation to the heat distributor in the said room.

4. A humidifying system comprising, a heat distributor in the room to be humidified, a pipe for supplying a heated medium to the heat distributor, a Water receptacle disposed in heat receiving relation to said pipe, an air pipe extending into said water receptacle above the normal water level therein and from a portion of said room where there is a lower temperature than the temperature of said heat distributor when heated, and a moist air delivery pipe from said receptacle to a point in close proximity to said heat distributor whereby a circulation of air may be maintained through said receptacle.

5. Ina humidifying system, the combination with a heating system including a radiator in the room to be humidied, and a heated medium supply pipe thereto, of a water tank connected to said supply pipe to be heated thereby, an air intake pipe establishing communication between the tank and the lower portion of said room, and a 4from the lower portion of said room to one end of said tank. a delector for deiecting the air entering said tank downwardly against the surface of the water therein, and a moist air delivery pipe extending from the opposite end of said tank upwardly into close proximity to said radiator to be heated 7. In a humidifying system, the combinationvwith a radiator and a supply pipe therefor, of a tank substantially of inverted U-v shape supported upon the said pipe, a detachable slide whereby said tank may be se'-v cured to the pipe and form a heat retaining chamber thereabout, means for maintaining a predetermined water level in saidtank, a pipe connecting one' end of said tank with a room near the floor thereof, and a pipe extending from the other end of the tank upwardly into close proximity to the radiator whereby said pipe may be heated -to mailptain an air circulation through said tan 8. In a humidifying system, a heating system including a radiator in the room to be humidiiied, a pipe for supplying a heated medium to said radiator, awater tank connected to said pipe whereby water in the tank will be heated by the heated medium in said pipe and means for establishing air circulation to and from the water tank from and to said room to be humidiiied including means disposed in close relation to a portion of the heating system in said room and including vmeans for detlecting air entering said tank into intimate contact with the surface'of the water therein.

9. In a humidifying system, a heating system including a radiator, said radiator being disposed in a room to be humidiiied, a pipe for supplying a heated medium to said radiator, a water tank connected to said pipe whereby water in the tank will be heated by the heated medium in said pipe,'means for maintaining a predetermined water level in said tank, and means for establishing air circulation to and from the water tank from and to said room including means disposed in close relation to a portion of the heating systemin said room.

-' THOMAS H. IRELAND. 

